Rental Property Investing Workbook: Screening, Leasing, and Cash Flow Management

Rental property management involves a chain of connected decisions — screening tenants, executing leases, tracking income and expenses, planning maintenance — that are much easier to learn by doing than by reading. This workbook course simulates the full landlord workflow for a fictional residential rental, providing templates and checklists at each step so you develop operational competence before managing a real property. By the end of this course you will be able to complete a structured tenant application review, draft a lease addendum covering a common situation such as a pet policy or early termination clause, build a monthly cash flow tracking spreadsheet for a rental property, and create a capital expenditure reserve plan based on property age and condition. What you will learn: - Reviewing a tenant application: verifying income, interpreting credit reports, and checking rental history - Conducting a rental showing and move-in inspection: documentation and condition checklists - Lease review and annotation: identifying clauses that protect the landlord and those that protect the tenant - Drafting a lease addendum: writing clear, enforceable language for common landlord-tenant situations - Monthly income and expense tracking: building a simple landlord ledger from scratch - Handling a maintenance request: documentation, contractor communication, and cost tracking - Security deposit accounting: move-out inspection, deduction documentation, and return timeline - Annual property performance review: comparing actual versus projected cash flow and adjusting assumptions The course follows a fictional landlord managing a single-family rental through a full twelve-month tenancy — from application review through lease renewal negotiations. Each module presents the relevant scenario, provides a template or checklist, guides you through completing it, and reviews the completed version with annotations explaining key decisions. All templates are provided in blank form for use on real properties. This course is written for first-time landlords preparing to manage their own property, property managers new to residential rentals, and investors building operational systems for a small portfolio. Basic spreadsheet proficiency is helpful. This course is informational and educational; it does not substitute for jurisdiction-specific legal advice on landlord-tenant law, and readers should consult local counsel on lease and eviction matters.